I always use a glass bowl and make sure I wash it with hot soapy water everyday. They can get a belly ache from time to time if the bacteria level gets high in the water dish. I just find glass easier to clean than metal and she seems to prefer it as well.
When Gracie was drinking very little water I started using my bottled water and pouring it into a bowl in front of her. She just loved trying to drink out of the water that was pouring into the bowel. You know how they love fresh water out of a faucet. She also like partially melted ice cubes.
Since your girl knows how to drink out of the bottle in her crate she is probably drinking that when she needs it.
Gracie uses pee pads so I can tell if she is hydrated enough by checking out the color of her urine. If they are drinking as they should the urine will be mostly clear. More concentrated urine is much more yellow and in smaller amounts. Keeping the kidneys flushed out is important to their long term health. |